MUKWIMA CHILALA
THE son to deceased Zambia international player Numba Mwila has appealed to Government to allocate a section of the National Heroes Stadium to the families of the victims as way of honouring the players who died while on national duty.
Numba Mwila Jr expressed the need for Government to do more for the Gabon Disaster heroes who persished as opposed to just holding events every April 28.
Mwila said most of the footballer’s children were very young when the Gabon accident happened and that their fathers were breadwinners and so life had been difficult seeing the families living on hand-to-mouth state.
He was speaking after a memorial match played between former national team players and some notable members of society at Lusaka’s Heroes Stadium.
Mwila noted that the Heroes Stadia is named after the fallen heroes and as such the families could benefit from the moneys collected by the facility.
“Let Government allocate a wing where the moneys collected can be shared amongst 30 families equally,” he proposed.
He said that Godfrey Chitalu Stadia should also benefit the Chitalu family by allocating an allowance to them.
He has further appealed to the government to help empower their foundation that was created last year for the children to help keep the legacy’s of their father’s.
“I am appealing to Government to render us some help by at least employing one person from each family in Government, if possible, or any well-wishers. Because in 30 years’ time, I don’t think the memorial will be regarded as much,” he said.
“Or if the government can help empower our foundation that was created last year for us the children to help keep the legacies of our father’s. In this light we may be able to have a room at heroes stadium like a museum with photos of all our fathers that can have a fee to pay that should be traditional for most foreign teams when they come apart from site seeing of the graveyard.”
Zambia last week commemorated 28 years since the Gabon Disaster when a Zambia Air Force Plane carrying the national team and administrative staff crashed off the coast of Libreville.
